Bloodlines
by MythicWolf04
Summary: A void of loneliness has always existed in Fox's heart, ever since his father died. It has only grown stronger since then, after Krystal had broken his heart. Fox was perfectly content to stay lonely and depressed, until Peppy gets an idea that will cheer him up. This idea will give Fox a new chance at starting fresh.
1. Bloodlines - Part 1

A/N: Here's the oneshot I had mentioned before! This one will be pretty long; I don't really want to split it into chapters. I actually wrote my first smut scene here, so go easy on that. Enjoy the story!

Edit: I've changed this story a bit, turning it into two parts for the sake of flow. Also changed a few bits, and fixed some slight grammatical errors. It's been awhile since I've wrote this. Might be a good reread.

-o0o-

One would think their soul mate would be somebody who was their opposite. That somehow, they would connect. That was not the case with Fox and Krystal. From the moment they tried to be a couple, it didn't work. They didn't fit. Sure, she stayed in the team, but that didn't mean things would be the same for them. Not that Fox cared. He was too depressed to. Fox knew it wouldn't work, but there was a profound sense of loneliness in his heart. It became a thing when his father was murdered, and even more so with Krystal. Peppy tried so hard to fill that void, but he never could. It just didn't work. He didn't think anybody could.

So there Fox was, wallowing in his sorrow and regret, on his bed in the Great Fox. He hadn't eaten much. Particularly, he couldn't care less. Peppy walked in his room, frowning at Fox's state.

"You look awful," he said.

"No shit. I feel worse. This just fucking sucks. I lose my father, I lose Krystal. We haven't had an exciting mission in ages. I can't gain anything. And before you say something, I know you and Slippy and Falco are trying to help. I get it. It's not working, though," Fox said.

"Well, maybe you should take your mind off of things. Go take a break. Find something to do on Corneria. Stay at that apartment you inherited from your father. After all, everything has been peaceful and quiet since the aparoids."

That actually perked Fox's mood a bit. Getting up, he said, "I never thought of that before. To be honest, I comoletely forgot about that. Thanks, Peppy! I'll leave as soon as possible!" He exclaimed, grabbing his flight jacket.

"Uhh, that's not what I meant-"

Whatever Peppy was going to say next, it didn't matter. Fox put on his flight jacket and his father's scarf. He grabbed his comm and a photo of him and his dad. He also made sure to get his blaster pistol and reflector.

"I'll meet with you guys whenever I can!" Fox said, flying out the door. Peppy only chuckled, watching him go.

"He's definitely your son, James," he said.

-o0o-

Fox dashed to the hangar, and climbed in his Arwing. Starting it up, he was flung out of the Great Fox and into Corneria's orbit. Their mothership was orbiting it, since their most recent mission was on the planet. He descended through the layers of the atmosphere, and came upon the glittering surface of the ocean. Fox forgot how amazing flying felt, especially after all of the boring ground missions they'd done. Corneria City soon came into view, it's beautiful skyscrapers jutting into the sky, like long, slim fingers in the night sky. It was an amazing view, with the buildings lit up like nighlights. Fox decided to land his Arwing on the closest spaceport to his apartment.

It wasn't to far a walk, but Fox nearly got himself lost a few times. It had been about a month since he had seen the apartment. He did recognize the outside immediately when he saw it, though. The quaint, two story apartment was home to many memories of Fox and his family. Smiling to himself, Fox unlocked the door with his key. Stepping in, he wrinkled his nose at the musty, dry smell. It hadn't been touched in weeks. He saw dust gathered everywhere. The vulpine didn't particularly care, however. He set his jacket and scarf on a hook near the door, and sat on the dusty old sofa in the living room.

"God, I missed this place," Fox whispered.

The vulpine then realized he was going to have to buy essentials, as he brought none. Thankfully, it was late; way past dinner time, so he didn't need to worry about getting anything until the next day. Fox got up, and moved to the small bedroom on the second floor. He didn't bring any nightclothes, either. Smart move, Foxy, he thought. Fox really didn't care. He lay on the bed, and almost instantly fell into a deep sleep. The best one he'd had in weeks.

-o0o-

Fox woke up, yawning. He nearly forgot that he had moved into the apartment for awhile. The vulpine clambered out of the bed, groaning and stretching his arms. Time to go on some errands, he thought.

Fox walked down to the first floor, and out of the building, grabbing his jacket and scarf on the way. The crisp, cold air of the winter made him shiver, and draw the scarf closer around his neck. Fox never really did anything that a normal civilian would do, like shopping and going by restaurants and cafés to eat, so he was honestly lost on where to go or what to do. The area around him looked relatively residential, so he walked a few blocks south. Looking around, he spotted a nice looking café on the other side of the street. He would've walled across the street, if he hadn't seen something. Something bad. Down the street, a man was walking across the street, but a truck was about to run him down. Thinking on impulse and reflex, Fox sprinted down the sidewalk and pushed the man and himself out of the path, grunting. They landed on the opposite sidewalk, groaning. Fox got up to find the truck, but it was already long gone. Turning around, he faced the other figure.

"Hey. Are you alright?" Fox asked, reaching his hand down to help the other up.

"Y- Yeah, I'm fine," a gruff voice said, taking the vulpine's hand and getting up. Fox's eyes widened, recognizing who the man was.

"Wolf? Is that you?"

"Fox?"

Now that Fox was up close to him, he recognized the facial features of his rival. He looked a bit more haggard than before, and slightly unkempt.

"I guess I saved your life, huh? Didn't expect that," Fox said, grinning.

"Yeah. Neither did I. Thanks, though."

Fox had a sudden urge to wonder where his rival had been. He hadn't seen Wolf since his team mysteriously disappeared after the destruction of the Aparoid Queen.

"You wanna catch up over some coffee? I haven't seen you in awhile."

Wolf was silent for a few moments, thinking on the offer. Then he opened his mouth to say, "Sure. Why not?"

"Great! Come on, there is a place down the street a bit. Let's go."

Fox and Wolf walked down the sidewalk, and entered the café. It was actually called Starfox Coffee, which Wolf found amusing.

"What?" Fox asked.

"I think it's funny how everything gets named after you when you become famous, is all. I'll buy for us, okay?"

"No, you don't have to do that," Fox said.

"You saved my life. It's the least I can do," Wolf said.

Sighing, Fox found a small table near the window, and waited for the lupine to get their food and drinks. Fox was genuinely curious as to know what his rival was up to. He looked pretty beat up and almost…. Homeless. Wolf was wearing a pretty beat up black hoodie and frayed jeans.

Wolf came with some coffee and muffins a few moments later, and handed Fox his food.

"Hey, Wolf."

"Yeah?"

"What have you been up to since the aparoids?" Fox asked. Wolf visibly winced.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Fox said, noticing Wolf's discomfort.

"No, I should tell you. You have the right as my rival, don't you?" Wolf asked, chuckling.

"Sure, why not?"

"Alright. Well, we haven't exactly been doing well. Of course, we didn't get credit for helping you guys; General Pepper was happy to label us as MIA. Everyone thought we died, so guess what? No more jobs for us. Sargasso was shut down because we couldn't pay for anything anymore. Soon after, Star Wolf was disbanded, and went their separate ways. I still keep in contact with Panther, but I don't exactly know where he is. I took my Wolfen here, to Corneria. I actually live in it, you know," Wolf explained.

Fox felt a pang of guilt, seeing his state. He felt so bad for Wolf. Living in his own starfighter, living off of scraps.

"I guess that's all Star Fox's fault, huh?" Fox asked, casting his eyes away.

"Hey. It's all in the past, right? Don't blame yourself," Wolf said.

Suddenly, Fox had an idea. Maybe not the best one, but it would help Wolf's sake nonetheless.

"Well, I'm taking a break from my team, and I've got an apartment down the way. You could, uh, stay for awhile," Fox said, awkwardly.

Wolf stared at Fox in disbelief, the grinned.

"Wow, you save my life, take me on a first date, and ask me to live with you all in the same day? I'm sold!" Wolf exclaimed, laughing. It was a hearty laugh, full of joy. Fox had never heard that before. He liked it.

Blushing, he said, "Well, I can always retract the offer-"

"No, don't do that. I'd love to have a place to crash," Wolf said, grinning.

"Great!"

The two canines finished their food, and left the café, walking to Fox's apartment. On the way, Fox explained how his life had been the past month, and shared what had happened with Krystal.

"She uh, said that we didn't fit. I understood, but it still broke my heart. I've never felt so lonely before. First it was dad, and now Krystal," Fox said, his tail drooping.

Wolf looked genuinely concerned for him. "I'm sure you'll find someone better than her. After all, you could get anybody you wanted, man or woman," Wolf said, putting his arm around Fox's shoulders.

"That means a lot. Thanks," Fox said, smiling. He meant it.

The two walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Fox liked having the company of somebody so sarcastic. It made for interesting banter. He wondered if he could consider Wolf a friend. Maybe that was too soon.

They came upon Fox's apartment awhile later. Fox unlocked the door, and led them in. He hung his coat up and laughed at Wolf's face when he started sneezing due to the dust.

"Jesus Christ, Fox! Dust this place sometime, will ya?"

"Sorry. Just moved in. That's why there isn't much here."

"Oh. Do you have a spare bedroom in this place?" Wolf asked.

"I don't. Sorry. You can have the couch, though."

"Nah, I think I'll be sneezing all night. It's got like, an inch of dust on it," Wolf said, chuckling.

"Fine. We can share the bed upstairs. Don't get too friendly with me, though," Fox said jokingly.

"No promises," Wolf joked.

Suddenly, Fox remembered that he hadn't gotten any essentials. He'd have to get double for Wolf, now.

"Crap. I have to get food and other stuff. Can I trust you to watch the place while I'm gone?" Fox asked.

"Sure. I mean, I'm going to live here, after all. I'll try not to make a mess," Wolf said.

"Well, make yourself busy and clean the place. You were the one complaining about the dust," Fox said on the way out of the door.

"Yeah, whatever. See you in a bit, Fox!" Wolf called to the doorway.

Chcukling, Fox tossed Wolf a spare key and left the apartment, locking it. He hoped that immediately giving Wolf all of that trust was the right decision.

-o0o-

After Fox shut the door and threw him a key, Wolf lay on the couch, sighing. Why the fuck did it have to be Fox to save his life, and be unnecessarily nice and caring to him? He didn't deserve it; half the Lylat system thought he was dead or a serious criminal. He was touched by the kindness, though. It had shocked him the Fox was so trusting. Wolf was determined not to give it up. And on top of everything, Wolf managed to avoid Fox for a month, solely because he didn't want to see the vulpine.

It wasn't that he had something against Fox, he was ready to stop being his rival. Wolf guessed they were on the road to being friends, but that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to be more than that. Wolf wanted to avoid him, and deny his feelings for the vulpine. He couldn't, though, and it killed him. What would the public think? Fox McCloud, war hero, dating somebody presumed dead. A male, nonetheless. It would kill him to see Fox in such a terrible position.

Wolf groaned, getting up and looking around the house, looking for the bedroom. He needed somewhere to sleep peacefully. The lupine found the bedroom on the second floor. It was a nice queen sized bed. He lay in the bed, and his nostrils were assaulted by Fox's scent. Wolf murred to the scent; he didn't think someone could smell so good. Why the hell did he have any doubts? He'd work on it, eventually. He'd get there. Wolf wrapped himself around a pillow and drifted into sleep, thoughts of that stupidly sweet vulpine in his head.

-o0o-

"Wolf? Hello?"

Fox stepped in the living room, void of the grey lupine. He set all of the sacks of groceries in the kitchen adjacent to the room, and looked around the apartment for him. Fox found Wolf sleeping peacefully on his bed, curled around a pillow.

"Poor guy. Must've been through a lot," Fox said to himself, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Wolf. Wake up, Wolf."

The lupine stirred, and slowly got up, yawning and showing his fangs. He turned to face Fox.

"How long was I out?" He asked.

"Only two hours. I just got back with the stuff. Come on, I need your help putting it away," Fox said

"Fine, if you insist," Wolf said, sighing dramatically.

"Come on, oh mighty Lord O'Donnell. I find the task of putting away supplies impossible without help," Fox said sarcastically.

"Alright, drop the crap. I'll help."

Fox walked back to the kitchen, Wolf at his heels. Wordlessly, they put all of the foodstuffs up, leaving them with a bag of toiletries and spare clothes.

"I couldn't find many clothes that you or I would like in the store, so we'll just have to share, alright? But fear not, we won't have to share toothbrushes," Fox said.

"That uh, that's fine. We can find more soon," Wolf said. He looked genuinely shocked at the kindness he was receiving.

"Yeah. Here, go put them in the dresser. I gotta put some more stuff away."

Fox gave Wolf the clothes, and he left to put them away. The vulpine was glad he could help somebody so much, even if that someone was his ex-rival. It didn't bother him. Fox honestly thought of Wolf as a friend now. Smiling to himself, he put the toiletries in the bathroom, and came back, seeing Wolf on the couch, watching the TV.

"You got that old thing started up?" Fox asked.

"Yeah. It was a nightmare to plug in, though. There is so much damn dust back there," Wolf said, looking back at Fox.

Fox sat next to Wolf on the sofa, choosing to relax for awhile. The news was on, and it was pretty boring, to say the least. That is, until a particularly interesting story came on.

"Breaking news. A suspected conspirator of the old Venomian army caused a suicide bombing in the Legacy Park this morning, around ten o'clock AM. Officials have confirmed at least four dead, and dozens injured. Attacks similar to these have been recorded happening in densely populated areas on the planets Fortuna and Katina. Andrew Oikonny is the suspected leader of these attacks," the news anchor reported.

That caught both of their attention.

"Andrew? I thought I killed him back in Fortuna!" Fox exclaimed.

"That isn't good. I think we should stay out of it for the time being, though," Wolf said.

Fox sighed. Wolf was right. He was on vacation, and they had little information on Andrew's whereabouts.

"You're right, Wolf. I should just take it easy," Fox said, sighing.

"There we go. That's the right choice," Wolf said, ruffling Fox's hair in a friendly manner.

"Hmph."

They spent the rest of the day on the couch, watching movies and sharing stories, as they nothing else much to do. Fox had come to respect Wolf, and enjoy his presence. He was a smart and sarcastic individual, and Fox loved that. Around late evening, they decided to go to bed. Wolf went to shower while Fox changed into a pair of sweats and a grey shirt. He slumped onto a half of the bed. Wolf hadn't stopped remaining grateful to Fox, even at his insistence that it wasn't a big deal. Around ten minutes later, a clean smelling Wolf stepped out of the bathroom, shirtless and in sweats. Fox wondered why he didn't have any lovers, with such a great figure. He lay next to Fox, on the other half of the bed.

"Hey, Fox."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For taking me in. You could've just left me after saving my life. You didn't, though. Thank you for caring about me," Wolf whispered.

Fox smiled. "You're welcome, Wolf. You can stay here as long as you want; I'm not going anywhere for awhile. And since you're being sappy, why don't I return the favor?"

Wolf chuckled. "Sure."

"Well, as I've told you before, I've been incessantly lonely and depressed. First dad, and now Krystal… even Falco and Peppy couldn't cheer me up, or fill the void. I haven't had a tether to keep me in reality for a long time. Then, Peppy suggested I take a vacation, and here I am now. You've helped me fill the void a little bit, and make me happy. Thank you."

"No problem. Anytime. Jesus, we're a couple of guys opening up to each other in the same bed. What's next, sleeping in each other's arms? Sex?"

Fox started laughing at that point. "Shut up and go to bed, Wolf."

-o0o-

Fox stirred, vaguely aware of a warm presence pressed up around him. He realized that Wolf was spooning him like a pillow. He was about to object, but he decided that the warmth was nice and comforting. Wolf, however, stirred and woke.

"Hey, Wolf. I appreciate the hug, but I'm not a pillow," Fox said.

"Wha- oh crap! Sorry, Fox! I didn't mean to do that," Wolf said, blushing bright red.

"Hey, I get it. You probably spoon a pillow in your sleep. It's no big deal, Wolf."

They got up, and moved to the kitchen to eat breakfast. That breakfast consisted of cereal and some orange juice, to which Wolf didn't mind. Fox was glad he wasn't a picky eater.

While they were at the table, Fox asked, "Do you want to go anywhere in the city? Like, a park or something?"

"Why not? I haven't been around the city too much, and a walk might be nice. Sure," Wolf said.

"Alright, let me go shower. We can leave after," Fox said, getting up and leaving the kitchen to shower.

Wolf, finished off his food, and went in their room to change. He put on some jeans, and an orange t-shirt. Sighing, he sat down on the bed. Why the hell did he have to make things awkward for them? Well, that wasn't entirely true. Fox didn't seem to mind all of the gestures. He fingered the small pendant on his chest; it was shaped like an eye and made out of a relatively large emerald. It was one of the few things he didn't sell after losing all of the money. He always knew he'd give it to somebody he'd spend the rest of his life with. Wolf didn't exactly know if Fox would reciprocate the feelings. He was sending some pretty mixed feelings. That wouldn't stop him from trying, later, at the park. Maybe that would work.

Fox stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in jeans, a grey tank top, and his flight jacket. Wolf thought he looked great.

"Ready to go?" Fox asked, going for the stairs.

"Yeah. Got any ideas for a park?" Wolf asked, joining him.

"Well…. I got this one up north a few blocks, it's pretty quiet. That good for you?"

"Sounds perfect."

On the way out of the door Wolf grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. He followed Fox to the park, which was a fair distance away from the apartment. It was worth it, though. The park was small, with a glittering pond in the center, and a statue of Fox's late father, James, jutting out of the center. It was shaded with plenty of trees, and there weren't many people in the area. They sat on a bench in front of the statue.

"You like it?" The vulpine asked, seeing Wolf looking around.

"Yeah. I think it's a perfect place to hang out," Wolf said.

"Cool."

"Hey, Fox."

"Yeah?"

"It was rumored a long time ago that I helped kill your father. I wanted to tell you I never did. I would've been fourteen at the time, actually. I didn't start flying until sixteen," Wolf explained, aware of the statue in the background.

"I kinda figured. You're only three years older than me. I was eleven when my father died," Fox said lightly, casting a fake smile.

Wolf couldn't take the faked mood anymore. It killed him to see that in Fox. He embraced the vulpine, which shocked both of them greatly.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything. The losses you've had. The cruelty you've faced. The loneliness. The death. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Wolf whispered.

The lupine heard Fox whimper a bit. "T- Thank you, Wolf. You don't know how much it means for me that you'd say that. I needed somebody like you to help me."

Wolf could only smile. "I'll be here."

They let go, and turned to face the statue. The sun was climbing fairly high in the horizon, signifying the afternoon. The two sat in silence, observing the scenery. It was almost unreal, like the setting was taken from a fantasy book. Wolf loved it so much. Smiling, he looked over at Fox. He was staring at the statue, with an unreadable look. Now or never, Wolf thought.

"Hey, Fox."

"Yeah?"

"I've got something I've been meaning to tell you for awhile. It's been eating me up," Wolf said.

"What would that be?"

"Uh… I'll just show you."

Wolf leaned close to Fox, his breath hitching. Tentatively, looking for any signs of hesitation, of which he saw none, Wolf kissed Fox. It was gentle and caring, and they both loved every second of it. Fox wrapped his arms around Wolf's waist and drew him closer. They remained close together, tongues sliding against each other in their mouths, exploring the other. They broke apart, gasping for air, and smiling like idiots.

"Wow. I- uh…. Wow," Fox breathed.

"Yeah."

"That wasn't bad."

"Very funny. Come here," Wolf said, pulling Fox into an embrace.

"Thanks. I loved that."

"You don't know how long I've wanted to tell you. When you pulled me up, and I recognized you, I was so happy on the inside. I had found you again. When I was going through everything after the aparoids, I always had one thought on my mind. Finding you again. Look what happened because of it," Wolf whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"I'm so sorry you went through that. We've both been through so much, and it's pretty damn awful. Look on the bright side, Wolf. We can hold on to each other through everything."

"I know. Thank you."

They released the embrace, and Fox leaned on Wolf, grasping his hand.

"So, we're kinda, lovers now?" Fox asked, innocently.

Wolf chuckled. "I didn't kiss you for nothing, Fox. Of course we are."

"Now all of those wisecracks you pulled are ironic, huh?"

"Yeah."

The two stayed like that for awhile, until the sun dipped low in the horizon, reflecting off of James's statue. It was beautiful in Wolf's eyes.

"Fox. There's something I wanted to give you."

"And that is?"

"There's this pendant that I've held onto for the longest time. I never sold it. I knew that I'd give this pendant to somebody I want to spend the rest of my life with. Now I know who that person is. It's you, Fox," Wolf said, unclasping the eye shaped pendant from his neck and putting it around Fox's.

Fox smiled, saying, "Wolf, thank you. I swear I don't know how many times I have said that in the past few days. I don't have anything on me, but it's at the house. Speaking of that, want to go back?"

"Yeah. Let's go. It's getting really late."

The two canines got up off of the bench, and started the trek home, holding the other's hand. Wolf didn't fail to notice, however, the strange looks some of the passersby gave them as they walked. He chose not to care, for Fox's sake. The vulpine was visibly nervous, but Wolf just grasped his hand tighter, for reassurance. That made him visibly relax.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the apartment. Fox stepped inside, and sighed.

"Damn. That was hard."

"Hey, Fox. It'll get easier. Besides, I'm right here. We'll make it through this," Wolf said.

"God, you're awsome," Fox said, kissing Wolf on the cheek.

"I try."

"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot! Hold on, stay right there," Fox said, running upstairs.

He came back a moment later with that scarf he always wore. He didn't take it today, for some reason.

"This scarf was my dad's. Peppy brought it to me after the mission when they failed to kill Andross. I've worn it for as long as I could remember. Don't know why, but I've always wanted to give it to somebody else, and carry on the legacy. My dad would want that. I would've given it to Krystal, but I think you should have it. You've helped fill a void in my life that I thought wouldn't ever go away."

Wolf was shocked. He didn't know that scarf had such a history, he assumed Fox just liked how it looked. No wonder he would always wear it. Gingerly, he took it from Fox.

"You didn't have to do this, Fox."

"I did it anyway."

Wolf embraced Fox. "Come on, let's go to bed."

"Yeah."

The two canines took off their jackets and hung them on the coat hangers. They walked up to their bedroom, and undressed, facing away from each other as they did so. Fox then rooted around in his closet until he found a pair of sweatpants he deemed suitable to wear to bed, and threw them on. He then turned around to see the lupine, clad in nothing but his boxers, climbing into the bed with a sigh of relief. The vulpine felt his face heat up, and joined Wolf on the other side of the bed.

"I'm glad this happened," Fox whispered, facing his lover and smiling softly. Wolf nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, me too. I didn't think this would all work out, but it did."

The vulpine kissed the other man softly, and the two smiled into it, glad that they could have each other in that moment. Fox inched closer to him ehen they broke apart, and Wolf wrapped his arms around him in response.

"Good night, Wolf."

"Night, Fox."

The vulpine quickly found a deep and happy sleep in his lover's arms, glad all of his troubles were washed away in the thick veil of unconsciousness. 


	2. Bloodlines - Part 2

Fox yawned, stirring awake. He was expecting to be trapped by Wolf, but he was met with an empty presence. Fox got up, and put on a pair of sweats that Wolf wore the day before, and that pendant. Sniffing, he smelled the scent of bacon cooking. I didn't think Wolf could cook, he thought. Fox trudged down to the kitchen, seeing Wolf growling at a burned portion of bacon. The made him chuckle.

"Having a problem, Wolf?"

"It's this damn bacon. Keeps burning no matter what I do," he growled.

"Well, for one, the oven is turned up too hot. Any warmer and you'll start a fire," Fox said, observing his progress.

"Oh. Well, now I feel feel like an idiot," he said, chuckling.

"Well, You're my idiot," Fox said, kissing him on the cheek.

"I finished everything else. I can actually cook, you know."

"Yeah. Okay. Let me turn the TV on first."

Fox moved to the living room and turned on the TV, and then moved to sit next to Wolf at the kitchen table. The lupine had fixed them eggs, toast, and some coffee. It was actually really good, and Fox loved it. They ate in comfortable silence, listening to the news which had stuck since the day prior. There were more reports of suicide bombings on various densely populated planets; Fortuna, this time.

"Hey, Wolf."

"Yeah?" The lupine asked between bites of toast.

"I really think we should do something about that. I think it's wrong for us not to help at this point," Fox said, worriedly.

Wolf stopped eating for a moment, pondering Fox's comment. He then said, "Maybe you're right. I don't like the thought of Andrew being on the loose, either, With his deranged ideals about restoring Andross's legacy."

"When do you want to go and stake a place out?"

"Not today. I think we deserve one more day to enjoy each other's company before we get down to buisness."

"You're right. Tomorrow, then?" Fox asked.

"Sounds like a plan," Wolf said.

After finishing their breakfast, the pair moved to the couch, opting to spend the day there. Fox leaned up next to Wolf, and the two chose to watch a movie before doing anything else. About midway through, Fox's comm buzzed in his jacket that was on the hook. He got up and walked over to it, and looked to see who was calling him. It was Peppy.

"Hello? Peppy?"

"Hey, Fox. How's the vacation going?" Peppy asked over comm.

"I'm doing great, actually. The change of pace and atmosphere has made me feel a lot better. I've been hanging at my dad's old place, too. I also saved Wolf O'Donnel's life, actually."

The other line was silent for a moment. "What?"

"Yeah. He was almost run over by a semi, and I didn't think that should happen, so I saved him. He's also living with me at the apartment right now, because he is homeless. Was, now."

"Well. I didn't expect to hear that today."

"Awesome. Well, I'm doing fine. He hasn't tried to kill me; he's been fairly tolerable." That attracted a glare from the couch, and Fox snickered.

"Great. We do have a situation on our hands, though."

Fox groaned. "Let me guess, the suicide bombings and Andrew, huh?"

"You knew about that?"

"Peppy, anyone with ears and a TV has heard about it. What about the bombings, anyway?"

"Well, the General has contacted us to take care of the situation. Sorry to cut your break short, but we need you back."

Fox sighed. "Wolf and I were actually planning to look into the problem tomorrow. If you could wait until we're done looking, we can figure this out together."

"Fine. We'll get with you tomorrow. Okay?"

"Sounds good. I'll call you then." Fox hung up, and walked back over to sit next to Wolf. He was greeted by a flick to the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Fox asked, rubbing the injured area.

"I'm 'fairly tolerable' to be around?" Wolf asked, sarcastically.

"Oh, would you rather have me tell Peppy that we're banging?"

"N- No I….. shut up, Fox," Wolf said, blushing.

"Nah."

"What was that about, anyway?"

"The rest of my team got a call from Pepper. He wants us to investigate the bombings, so I told them to meet us tomorrow, after we've staked out a park," Fox explained.

"So we need to keep the whole 'romance' thing in the low?"

"No kidding."

"Huh. I'll try my hardest not to fuck you while we're with your team."

It was Fox's turn to blush. "You stop that."

"When pigs fly," Wolf said, smiling.

The resumed the movie, and watched a few more throughout the day, until it was bedtime. They took turns in the shower, then moved to the bed to go to sleep.

"Hey, Wolf."

"Yeah?"

"I hope nothing awful will happen tomorrow," Fox said.

"Yeah, me too," Wolf whispered, hugging Fox close and kissing him.

"Night, Wolf."

"Good night, pup."

-o0o-

Wolf woke up, face full of orange fur. He smiled, gently dislodging himself from the sleeping vulpine. They had to go out today. Find a suicide bomber, and interrogate him as to where Andrew was located. Wolf clambered out of the bed, and went to change into jeans and a green tank top. He then went downstairs to wait for Fox. Jesus, he's a heavy sleeper, the lupine thought. Even when Wolf was curled up around him and snoring into his ear.

"Morning, Wolf."

He jumped, not hearing Fox's entrance into the living room. Wolf turned around, smiling at Fox. The vulpine was dressed in jeans and a grey shirt. Wolf got up and gave Fox a quick kiss and an embrace.

"Hey, Fox. You ready to head out?" He asked.

"Yeah. Let me get my flight jacket."

Wolf went to put his hoodie on, as well as the scarf. Fox shrugged the jacket on with his blaster and reflector, and they left the apartment, locking it. Fox grasped his hand, and they walked away.

"Any idea of where we should look first?" Fox asked.

"Hmm. I'd guess a park. With some sort of symbol for hope and peace, that sort of thing. It wouldn't even have to be densely populated, just enough to send a message. I'd wager that park we went to the other day. You know, with the giant freaking James McCloud statue in it."

"Well, if you put it like that, it sounds like a good idea to check first."

Wolf and Fox walked all the way up north to that old park, and noticed that it was a little busier than normal. They sat in that same bench overlooking the statue, and looked around, searching for a suicide bomber. Wolf didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but he figured that could change soon.

Just when Wolf thought that they weren't going to find anything, Fox pointed to a monkey wearing an overly baggy coat and sunglasses.

"We might want to prevent that."

The two canines got up, and walked over to the monkey's location nonchalantly. He didn't seem to notice them, but his eyes Wolf assumed were set on the statue. He started walking towards it relatively quickly. The two shared a nod and Fox slid Wolf his blaster. The lupine ran after the monkey, tackling him to the ground. He ripped open the coat and found the explosives.

Restraining the ape's arms, Wolf shouted, "Fox! Get the people out of here and call your team!"

"Got it!" Fox yelled, ushering civilians out of the park and dialing his comm.

Turning back to the ape, he growled, "Alright, buddy, why don't you and me have a talk? I'd like to know where your pal Andrew is at."

He struggled to break free, and Wolf took that as a sign he didn't want to talk. The most sensible thing to do would be to ask him later, so the lupine slammed his fist into the other's temple, knocking him out. After, he gingerly took the explosives off, and laid them a distance away. Picking the ape up, Wolf walked back over to Fox, who was still on his comm.

"-got it. See you there."

He hung up, and turned to Wolf, breathless.

"The team will meet us outside the city. We should probably grab our ships and meet them there. Alright?"

"Yeah. Hey, so this guy won't talk. We'll have to do something about it on your ship. Okay?"

"Sounds good. I'll meet you there."

Wolf put his hand in Fox's shoulder. "I'm playing hero for once. Feels good."

"Always room for change. See you there."

Wolf started to run to his Wolfen, which wasn't too far away, near where he was saved by Fox. The landing pad was in the edge of the port, and Wolf climbed in his ship, dumping the monkey in the back. He started it up with some difficulty; he hadn't flown in weeks. He was able to get going, and took off. The flight didn't take long; he found the Great Fox within moments. He set down next to the ship, and waited for Fox's Arwing to set down. It did a moment later. Wolf climbed out of the cockpit with the ape in tow, and moved with Fox inside the Great Fox. Fox's team was waiting for them in the hangar.

Fox approached his team, saying, "I hope Peppy has told you about me helping Wolf, so try not to go ballistic on him, okay?"

Falco, Slippy, and Krystal nodded, eyeing Wolf distrustfully.

"Why is he wearing your scarf?" Falco asked.

"It's a long story, which I will tell you after this is blown through, okay?"

Falco grumbled, saying, "Fine, I guess."

"Wolf. Give that ape to Falco. He should be able to get some answers," Fox said.

Wolf handed the monkey to Falco, saying, "Be careful with him. He's pretty slippery."

The avian ran towards an interior area, presumably to interrogate the ape. Peppy turned to the two and said, "Good job on saving those people. Move your ships in here and we'll take off. Falco should have his answers in a half hour."

"Great. The sooner we get this taken care of, the sooner we can go back," Fox said.

The pair ran back out of the hangar, and moved their ships into it. After that was finished, ROB closed the doors, and the ship lurched, signifying it's takeoff.

"We should get up to the bridge now. Everyone will be waiting on us," Fox said.

"Yeah. I probably won't be able to do this for awhile, so why not now?" Wolf asked, pulling in Fox for a kiss. They broke apart, grinning, and took the elevator on the far end of the hangar to the bridge. Sure enough, when they got there, everyone but Falco was waiting on them.

Peppy turned to the group and said, "More than likely, Andrew's ship is going to be orbiting a planet, so it must have some form of stealth capability. For him, having a base on or around Venom is a horrible idea, considering the amount of squads the Cornerian Army sends to patrol. Corneria is also not a possibility. We've got our bases covered, so we need to wait for Falco to finish."

On que, Falco barged in and said, "He's orbiting Fichina, around the equator."

Wolf was surprised he got done interrogating the ape so fast. "How did you do that so easily?" He asked.

Falco gave a cocky grin, saying, "Oh, I have my ways. By the way, he won't be waking up any time soon."

"Hmph. ROB, set us a course for Fichina," Peppy ordered.

"Affirmative. We will reach Fichina in four hours," the robot said. The ship lurched into lightspeed a moment later.

"Slippy, can you go perform maintenance on Wolf's Wolfen? It hasn't been used in awhile," Fox said.

"Sure, Fox! I'll be done around an hour, depending on damage level," the toad said, walking out the door.

"Fox, I need to get some rest. You have anywhere I can sleep?" Wolf asked.

"No spare rooms, but you can sleep in mine. It's down the hall, fourth door on your right," Fox said, winking.

"Thanks," Wolf said, smiling.

As Wolf exited the hangar, the vixen, Krystal, approached Fox. He frowned. What was that about, he wondered. The lupine figured Fox was capable of taking care of it, and looked for the vulpine's quarters. Wolf found and entered it, and saw that it was very unkempt, as it probably hadn't been touched in awhile. He didn't mind, just launched himself on the bed, and fell right asleep.

-o0o-

Fox saw the vixen, Krystal, walk up to him just as Wolf left the bridge. She looked like she wanted to talk.

"What did you need, Krystal?" Fox asked.

"I wanted to talk with you. In private," She said, beckoning him to follow.

She led him into her room, down the hall. They stepped inside, and she turned to face him.

"I wanted to apologize for breaking up with you back then," Krystal said, sighing.

"Hey, it's fine. I forgive you. I understood why you did that," Fox said.

"Yeah, but….." She trailed off, grabbing his hand. He stared at her inquisitively.

"What are you doing?" Fox asked.

"I was hoping we could try again," She said, leaning in to him, going for a kiss. Fox pushed her away. He couldn't break Wolf's heart. He loved the lupine too much.

"I don't want that anymore, Krystal."

"Wha- Why? Why don't you? You were depressed after the first time," she said, staring at him with a sad look.

"I found somebody I care about so much more. They're waiting for me, and I couldn't break their heart for you," Fox said, walking out, not giving the vixen a chance to reply, or look into his mind.

Fox couldn't stand to see her again, after what she just pulled. He didn't want her back anymore. Fox cared for Wolf so much, and he couldn't give that up, not for the world. Fox moved into his quarters, and snickered when he saw the lupine snoring on his bed. He sat next to Wolf and stroked his head gently. Wolf leaned into the touch unconsciously.

"You've done so much for me in the past three days. Nobody else has shown me that kindness, not since a very long time ago," Fox said to the sleeping figure.

Fox heard a figure walking in his direction, so he got up and pretended to be looking for something. It was just Falco, walking by.

Fox sighed. "This is something that I don't want to deal with."

-o0o-

"We have reached Fichina's orbit."

ROB's voice blared over the intercom. Fox was still in his room, watching over Wolf's sleeping figure. He gently jostled the lupine awake.

"Hey, Wolf. We're here."

He got up, saying, "Good. Thanks for watching over me."

"Anytime. Come on, let's go."

Fox led Wolf down to the bridge, where the rest of the team were waiting. Peppy brought up the monitor, showing the space surrounding Fichina.

"We've reached the orbit, but Andrew's ship is nowhere to be found. I expected this, actually. He should be cloaked."

"Did you check the thermal scans? That ship will be putting out a lot of radiation," Slippy said.

"I was just about to. ROB, activate thermal sensors."

The view on the monitor changed, showing heat levels. A dot of orange light was shown like a beacon, compared to the frozen Fichina and the void of space.

"Bingo. I'll upload the data to your fighters. You should be able to find a hangar bay somwhere to board."

"I've prepped everybody's fighters. By the way, Wolf, I've upgraded your Wolfen with advanced firepower and added some smart bombs," Slippy said.

"Thank you."

"Alright team, let's rock and roll!" Fox exclaimed, leading the team to the hangar.

Reaching the hangar, Fox noted that the Wolfen was in considerably better shape than before. Fox climbed in his Arwing, starting it up. The HUD flashed up, showing the thermal scan overlaying Fox's minimap.

"Maglocks releasing in 3… 2… 1….. takeoff."

The locks released with a crunch, and all five fighters shot out of the Great Fox. The vulpine used the overlay to guess where Andrew's ship was located.

"Andrew won't have a choice but to release his troops, and when he does, the cloaking will disable. You have to strike then," Peppy said over comm.

"Got it. Everyone, edge closer to the ship, and if you have to, fire at it to get their attention. This might be our only chance to take them out," Fox informed the team.

As they edged closer to the cloaked ship, nothing changed. Fox growled in frustration. He got an idea, remembering the bombs on Wolf's ship.

"Wolf, use your smart bombs. That'll make them wake up."

"Understood."

Fox saw the bomb streak from the Wolfen, and slam into an invisible wall with an explosion. The cloaking crackled, and dissipated. What was left was a massive battleship, filled to the brim with various weapons. One that stood out was menacingly large.

"Slippy, what is that big one supposed to do?" Fox asked.

"It's an EMP. That will cause our ships to lose power temporarily, leaving us dead in space," Slippy answered.

"Holy shit. We need to find an empty hangar, then," Wolf said.

Just then, the whole ship lit up, and Venomian fighters were launched out of various holes in the ship.

"Everyone, break position! Inform immediately if you find an open hangar!" Fox shouted over comms.

Slippy cut in, saying, "I just calculated the charge speed for the EMP. It will take three minutes to charge."

The team broke formation, and split off into different directions. Fox split to fly under the ship. There weren't as many weapons and fighters on the underside, thankfully. He shot at the turrets, destroying them, and did a roll to block enemy fire. The vulpine flew up from the underside, looping over the side and seeing Falco in trouble. He had about three fighters on his tail.

"Damn. Can you get these, Fox?"

"On it."

Fox started to tail the fighters, and charged up a shot. He locked on one fighter, releasing and destroying it. He blew the others up with a bomb.

"Thanks, Fox. I owe you one," Falco said, breathing out.

"Fox? I've got an open hangar. It's on the backside of the ship, near the EMP," Wolf said.

Forty seconds until fully charged!"

Fox maneuvered his Arwing towards the back of the ship. He looped over the EMP, and cut down to the hangar. It wasn't that large, but Fox was able to land next to the Wolfen. Not five seconds later, Krystal and Slippy landed, followed by Falco. Then a faint crackle was heard, and a blue sphere enveloped the area of the ship. Fox sighed in relief.

Climbed down from the Arwing, Fox asked Peppy, "Where should Andrew be?"

"I'd guess the bridge. Get up there as fast as you can."

Fox checked to make sure everyone was okay, then led the team through the ship. Funnily enough, they didn't meet much resistance on the way up to the bridge, and took out the enemy with ease. They came up to the door to the bridge.

"This is feeling like a trap, Fox," Wolf said.

"Yeah."

Carefully, Fox opened up the door. He didn't see anybody. Definitely a trap. Fox looked around, as did his team.

"Fox? I've got something," Slippy said.

The vulpine walked over to him. Slippy was looking at at computer monitor. Fox looked at it, and a picture of Andrew himself popped up.

"Ah, Fox McCloud. How nice of you to barge into my operation," the ape said smugly.

"What the hell do you want, Oikonny?" Fox asked angrily.

"Oh, just to see you and your precious team to go up in flames."

"Wha-?"

In another monitor, a countdown time popped up, for five minutes.

"The ship is going to self destruct," the vulpine whispered.

From another part of the bridge, Falco yelled, "The EMP is charging!"

"Shit. Even if we get out, that thing's going to kill us. What are we gonna do?"

Wolf came up to Fox. "One of us has to stay here and make sure that weapon doesn't fire."

Fox's eyes widened, realizing what Wolf meant. "No. You can't do that. I'll find a way-"

"We don't have much time, Fox. I have to do this for all of you."

A tear rolled down Fox's cheek. "No. Please, don't do this to me. I've already lost enough. Not you. Please."

Wolf embraced Fox. "Chances are, I might be able to survive. But if I don't, that's okay. You've given me so much in the past few days. More than I've deserved. I love you so much, Fox." Wolf said it. He actually said it.

"I love you too, Wolf. I always will," Fox said, his voice cracking.

Wolf broke out, and gave Fox one last kiss. "Go. Remember what I did for you. I'm finally being a hero, huh?"

In the face of everything, Fox smiled. "Goodbye, Wolf."

"Goodbye, Fox."

Wordlessly, Fox turned away from the lupine, and ran out of the bridge, his team following. They reached the hangar very quickly, and Fox climbed into his Arwing, taking off. His team flew out of the hangar, and made a beeline for the Great Fox, where they docked. The vulpine couldn't bear to look, back, the muted explosion finalized everything for him as he climbed out of his Arwing.

"Fox…." Falco trailed off.

"Shut up. I don't want to talk about it, Falco," Fox said, struggling to keep himself composed.

"Yeah. Whatever you say, Fox."

Fox landed his Arwing, and climbed out, ignoring his teammates, who were trying to speak to him. He just sprinted for his room, and sat on the bed, which smelled faintly of Wolf. That crushed his heart even more. He looked out of the window, at the debris. He heard the door open behind him.

"Krystal, I really don't want-"

"It's not Krystal," Peppy said, stepping in and moving to sit next to Fox.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Yeah, you do. I heard everything over comm. I'm so sorry," Peppy said, hugging Fox.

Fox burst into tears, then. "Oh my God. I lost my dad. Krystal. And now the last person I loved. What the hell is going to happen now?" He asked, gripping the hare tighter.

"You just have to keep moving. He could've survived, too, you know. Just hold hope. Okay? I don't care who you love, as long as that person makes you happy. Just hold on. Wait for him."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that. Thank you, Peppy," he said, voice cracking as he smiled.

He released the hug. "Anytime, Fox. By the way, we're headed back to Corneria to inform Pepper of what happened. The lightspeed engine was damaged in the fight, so the trip will take about two days. We can drop you off when we get there. Okay?"

"Got it."

Peppy left his quarters, leaving Fox in peace. He couldn't believe what happened. Fox fingered Wolf's pendant, laying on the bed. Wolf had to be alive.

-o0o-

It had been two days since team Star Fox left Fichina. They had just come out of lightspeed, and the atmosphere of Corneria came into view. Fox had smoothed things out with his team, explaining what had occurred since he left, minus the explicit details. Falco and Slippy were fine with it, but Krystal became jealous. Fox thought she just wanted him back. He only wanted Wolf.

Fox was laying on his bed, fist curled around the pendant. He was staring out of his window, into space. Sighing, he got up and walked to the window.

"Wolf. I hope you're still alive."

Fox stared out the window for a long time, looking for any signs of Wolf's presence. He did end up seeing what he wanted. A flash of grey and red, streaking past the window to the surface of Corneria. Fox swore he saw Wolf's grin as he passed.

"I knew you'd be alive," Fox breathed, pressing his hand on the window.

Fox grabbed his jacket and the picture, and dashed out of his room, running for the hangar. Peppy was in the hangar and he saw Fox running to his Arwing.

"Leaving already?" He asked.

"Yeah! There's something I need to find!" Fox exclaimed, climbing in his Arwing. Peppy only smiled, watching him go.

Fox took off, and beelined to Corneria City. Maybe their bond didn't have to end in heartbreak after all. Fox grinned. The love of his life was still alive, against everything. Maybe his life didn't always have to end terribly.

"Wolf, I won't ever let you go again. No matter what happens."

END 


End file.
